Pages

Sunday 24 November 2013

The trouser pattern takes shape

Hi, been working on my trouser pattern today ready for tomorrow night.

My homework this week was to pin my pattern onto the pattern fabric. The idea is to use a similar weight to the fabric you are going to make the trousers from. I'm using an old bed sheet.

Once I'd ironed the sheet I pinned on the three pattern pieces.


Next was to draw round the pattern once, then draw on a seem allowance.

Looking forward to the next stage.

And my Christmas cactus, which I found out today when listening to the radio, is really a jungle plant  and doesn't like strong sunlight, is still putting on a good show.

Hope you have all had a great week.

S xx

Monday 18 November 2013

Trying something new

A bit of a late night post for me but just have to share. I have bought dressmaking patterns, and made various clothes, mainly when my daughter was young but have never tried to make my own pattern, so thought I would give it a go. Under instruction and it's harder than you think.

You need your maths skills as you need to measure, add, subtract, divide, and select the correct angles. And brown paper, sticky tape, pens, curved ruler and a yard (or metre) stick.

Oh, and a large table.

I've decided on a pair of trousers.


Paper pattern completed tonight, next task is to pin onto my practice fabric and draw round the pattern. My practice fabric is an old bed sheet.

And finally, can I show off with my Christmas cactus plant. I bought it from a budget store last year and it must be living in its perfect place as look how many flowers it is sporting.

Hope you have a good week.

S xx

Friday 15 November 2013

Not liking these short days

It's dark when I set off for work in the morning and dark when I get home. This makes it hard to take decent photos. I have been crafting but have to keep it quiet so not letting family and friends in on what they may be getting for Christmas, but help the weeks are flying by, it will be here all too soon.

I can share this with you.


The embroiderers guild I go to had been challenged to make something from some donated school ties. There was some fabulous makes. All I could come up with was a door stop using 4 stripey ties. But it is totally recycled, I've filled it with old fiction books.

I also made a hat at craft night on Tuesday. Will get Doris to model it this weekend so I have a photo to share with you on my next blog.

Hope you have a good weekend.

S xx

Sunday 10 November 2013

Need more hours in the week

Apologies for my lack of blogging but life has been a bit hectic here at Jessie's Needle. Day job really busy and the adult crochet class was so successful I was asked to do another. This, and making gifts for Christmas (which I cannot show here for obvious reasons), has left me with little spare time or interesting things to share.

But how about these .....

No, not road kill, but some crochet robins.

However, Joy asked what I was sewing, and here it is, a skirt - modeled here by my good friend, Mildred. Mildred came to live with me earlier in the year. I plan to dress her up for Christmas so she feels at home.


At the crochet class I took a photo of the inspiration table which I set up. As you can see, I love colour.


Sorting out my cupboards I found a table runner made by Jessie, in cut work. Makes my efforts look really amateur.



And finally, I have made something for myself. It's a cowl in crocheted cable instead of knitted. The pattern was in the magazine, Inside Crochet.

Hope you are all well out there in blog land.

S xx

Sunday 20 October 2013

Little knee blanket

Hi, finished a new knee blanket today.

Not the best of photos but the days are getting shorter. This will brighten up a dull day.


Hope you have had a great weekend.

S xx

Thursday 17 October 2013

It's been a crafty week

Just a quick post. Welcome to my newest follower, Ellen, you are number 20. Just need one more to get the key of the door ;-) ??????

I've finished the illuminated letter 'S', here's a few photos.



Don't know whether it's a dragon or a double headed serpent.




Tuesday night made a crochet pumpkin ready for Halloween.

Off out to my crochet class tonight.

Hope you are having a good week.

S xx

Sunday 13 October 2013

Busy weekend - Quiet Sunday

I cannot believe it's been a week since I last had time to blog, was aiming for at least two per week.  Not had much time for crafting either. It was my granddaughters third birthday. She is really growing up, we had a great time.

But I do have I few photos to share.

A WIP which I have picked up, will start work on this this evening. It's an illuminated letter S, in cross stitch which looks like a dragon.


Dressmaking pieces, cut out and ironed, ready for Monday night's sewing session.


And finally a bag I crocheted in the summer, which seems a long time ago as I'm currently sat in front of the fire.

Hope you had a good week, and that the coming week is just as good.


Sunday 6 October 2013

Completed Sunday stitching experiment

Happy Sunday to my blog followers and visitors. For the last few Sundays I've been linking in with Chrissie and a stitch along. I'm really enjoying the process and have been experimenting with a technique I've not tried before. Cut work. Not the delicate white work which I've seen before, but something a bit more substantial.

Today is the day I cut out some of the fabric. Scary, scary.

Shiny sharp new scissors, Sheffield Steel.


I've had them quite a while, this is the first time I've used them.



Started with the leaves.


Then moved onto the petals.

Must confess that I had to redo one of the petals, as I caught it and cut the thread.


But overall I'm pleased with how it has turned out.




No excuses now, must make a start on the housework.

S xx

Wednesday 2 October 2013

Photos from Yarndale

Hello, mid week and I've managed to get the computer up and running and sorted out my photos from Yarndale.  But before the photos can I just say welcome to my latest followers and also thank you for all your encouraging comments about my stitching Sunday.

Yarndale Diary
Set off early morning to catch the train to Skipton.  Lovely journey, chatting and crocheting with friends.  Not the only people on the train who were knitting/crocheting.  Lovely Settle/Carlisle line, such stunning scenery.  Sorry I didn't take any photos, but would recomment you take a journey on this sometime.

Met at Skipton train station by a shuttle double decker bus, all decked out in colourful woolly bunting and flowers.  This is part of the inside of the downstairs.



What a sight in the entrance hall.  Look at all this lovely bunting - my granddaughter was very impressed and would like some for her bedroom. I'm going to be busy!




Not confident about taking too many pictures as the artists have all worked so hard, but here are some photos from the day.

Lovely crochet bags

And flowers, not seen them edged in such a way before and very nicely displayed

 Very colourful patchwork display, triangles of crochet put together like a patchwork blanket, so cool.

 Lots of crochet stars, joined together.


Kits you could buy to make these wonderful scarfs - wish I had taken extra money. Not a scarf to wear but I'd love to have one just hanging about on my wall, they are so beautiful.
 







 
I was quite taken with all the lovely crochet food on offer






Would you think that this garlic is made of wool - I had to look twice.  This stall was a group that had come all the way over from Malaga, Spain
 
 
And finally, if you have a large animal head on the wall, why not make it look pretty.
 
 
 
Back home on the train, tired but with a head full of ideas.  Oh and I  bought a bit of wool too.
 
Hope you are having a good week.
 
Sxx
 
 
 
 
 
 





Sunday 29 September 2013

Sunday stitchery, nearly there

Thank you all for your kind comments and encouragement while I experiment with cut work. After finishing the buttonhole stitch round the design I have been reading up on the subject. So how is it progressing?

First I pressed the embroidery from the back into my ironing pack. This is an old sheet which I fold up so that it gives a soft surface for the embroidery to sink into.

Then into the hoop again.



For bigger spaces I found that you could add bars. From the books I looked into this should have been done before the buttonhole stitches, but I now know for next time.

You sew the thread across the space on the surface

Branching where appropriate. I hope these photos show how I did it.





You then weave a buttonhole stitch over the threads. I changed to a blunter needle at this point so that I didn't catch the fabric behind. This is what it looks like on the reverse.

I think these branching bars are made for leaves, so that was lucky.

Have also decided to do a form of buttonhole surface darning on some of the flower petals. As it's in white I hope you can see from the photo ok.

Well have to go and get ready now as off to a music concert tonight in Manchester. I'm having a busy time. Yarndale yesterday, hopefully I will get time to post about it. It was a brill day. Well done to the organisers.

Hope your stitching Sunday is going well.

S xx